MARATHON — The Nawiinginokiima Forest Management Corporation (NFMC) is participating in the Pic Forest Independent Forest Audit this week.
The results of the audits are eventually tabled in the Ontario legislature and made available to the public.
The Pic Forest audit was scheduled to take place from Monday to Friday of this week.
NFMC public relations and marketing coordinator Brett Redden called it a comprehensive and important process.
“This is a pretty intense audit," he said. "In fact the group is out on the field now with the Ministry of Natural Resources."
The provincially-mandated audits are intended to assess compliance with the Crown Forest Sustainability Act, which requires management units be audited every five to seven years, and specific forest management plans.
“The audit takes on a safety perspective and operations in line with the forestry plans that are set up [by] the Ministry of Natural resources,” explained Redden.
Historically, a committee known as the Forestry Futures Trust Committee has worked with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry since 1997 to prepare and deliver the IFA program.
The audits are conducted by an independent audit firm selected through a bidding process. Both the Forest manager and the MNRF District are audited.
Redden provided a detailed list of the various purposes that the IFA serves, including:
- document to what extent forest management planning activities comply with the Forest Management Planning Manual and the Act;
- assess to what extent forest management activities comply with the Act and with the forest management plans, the manuals approved under the Act and the applicable guides;
- determine the effectiveness of forest management activities in meetings the forest management objectives set out in the forest management plan, as measured in relation to the criteria established for the audit;
- compare the forest management activities carried out with those that were planned;
- assess the effectiveness of any action plans implemented to remedy shortcomings revealed by a previous audit;
- review and assess a licensee's compliance with the terms and conditions of the forest resources license.
More information about independent forest audits is available at the Ontario government website.
